He laid her gently on the bed and pulled the blanket up to her shoulders. She nudged him lightly. “Go shower. Wet clothes are uncomfortable.”
“Alright.” He smiled and tucked the blanket a little tighter around her. “I won’t close the door. Call me if you need anything.”
“Got it,” Hadley smiled, more at ease now. “I’ll be quick.”
He walked toward the bathroom. Just before stepping inside, he turned back with a teasing grin. “If you feel like sneaking a peek, go ahead. Wait, maybe not this time—your ankle needs the rest. Understood?”
Hadley blinked at him, stunned. Then she scoffed and muttered with fake annoyance, “Who would want to look at you? You’re so full of yourself.”
Hearing her words, Eric laughed heartily as he disappeared into the bathroom. “Wait for me—I’ll be back to keep you company.”
But as he turned away, his smile slowly faded. He couldn’t shake the worry pressing at the edge of his thoughts. Whatever was happening to Hadley—he needed to figure it out soon. Before it spiraled beyond his reach.
Eric emerged from the bathroom to find Hadley still awake, perched on the edge of the bed with her luminous eyes wide open, radiating an almost heartbreaking vulnerability.
Her delicate, ethereal beauty tugged at the deepest corners of his heart.
“Have you finished?” she asked in the gentlest whisper.
“Yes,” he replied softly.
A plush towel hung loosely around his waist as Eric moved toward the bed. Just as he prepared to sit beside her, Hadley’s fingers tightened nervously around the blanket draped over her.
The subtle gesture made him freeze mid-motion.
He instantly understood her unspoken message and offered her a playfully understanding smile. “I’ll fetch a separate blanket for myself.”
“Okay,” Hadley whispered, her voice so soft it barely stirred the air.
Read exclusive updates gα?ησvls?com
In truth, she longed for his comforting presence beside her, but she wasn’t ready to share the same blanket—or risk anything more physically intimate. Such closeness felt too likely to spiral into something she wasn’t prepared for—not yet.
Her concern wasn’t about her own self-control, but rather about whether he could keep their boundaries intact.
Several minutes later, Eric returned with a fresh blanket. He spread it neatly across the bed before lying down on his side. “All set,” he said with quiet satisfaction.
He picked up the remote from the nightstand and dimmed the overhead lights, leaving only the warm, amber glow of the wall-mounted lamp to soften the room.
“Time to rest now. If anything happens during the night, you’ll find me right here beside you.” His hand brushed through her silken hair with infinite tenderness. “You’re completely exhausted, aren’t you? Close your eyes. I’m here, protecting you. There’s nothing to fear.”
“Mmm, yes,” Hadley murmured in sleepy agreement.
She truly felt drained beyond measure. The crushing psychological pressure that had been weighing on her mind finally began to lift with his reassuring presence so close.
.
.
.